Car advice

by **Dendrobates** Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:03 am

It’s time for the hubby to get a new car. We’ve owned it for several years, and want to get an AWD/4WD SUV.

Normally, we would buy. But right now, those payments would be more tight than I like. So a 2 year lease is what we’re looking at. After that, we should be able to buy again.

I have an equinox, and we likenit. We’re thinking along those lines. Wanting a payment under $300 (estimating 2500 trade in) Not a basic vehicle , but doesn’t have to have all the bells and whistles. What should we get ? What should we avoid?

by **Rocinante** Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:19 am

I am the dumbest car buyer. Sorry.

by **steveschneider** Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:23 am

If you are leasing you should be pretty safe right? Not sure reliability would be my #1 concern since dealership should take care of all the maintenance. I'd probably just look for a dealership with a decent reputation and negotiate for lowest rate and up front payment possible.

by Senior Dickfist Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:28 am

I don't have recommendations on a specific vehicle but, be willing to negotiate and take your time doing so. Do not be hasty on taking what they offer. Also, always be willing to walk and go to another dealer.

by **steveschneider** Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:46 am

Senior Dickfist wrote:I don't have recommendations on a specific vehicle but, be willing to negotiate and take your time doing so. Do not be hasty on taking what they offer. Also, always be willing to walk and go to another dealer.

Yep, all of this. Also, I found Carfax to be so useful. You can search for cars in your surrounding area and get a good sense of what shit goes for. Patience helps and not falling in love with a car is a big deal. There's cars all over the fucking place if you lose out on one deal another one will come right along.

by **Jake from State Farm** Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:28 pm

You can get a Kia for $97/month for 24 months provided you put $5k down and only drive it to church on Sundays. Insurance would be pretty cheap too.

by **Dendrobates** Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:33 pm

Jake from State Farm wrote:You can get a Kia for $97/month for 24 months provided you put $5k down and only drive it to church on Sundays. Insurance would be pretty cheap too.

I don’t know shit about cars, but isn’t Kia the cheapest of the cheap? As in cheap safety wise too? I guess I never got a good impression from Kia.

by Izzo Court Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:34 pm

www.gmfamilyfirst.com is a great website so see current GM offers and GM employee pricing.

by **Wally Fairway** Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:49 pm

Dendrobates wrote:
Jake from State Farm wrote:You can get a Kia for $97/month for 24 months provided you put $5k down and only drive it to church on Sundays. Insurance would be pretty cheap too.

I don’t know shit about cars, but isn’t Kia the cheapest of the cheap? As in cheap safety wise too? I guess I never got a good impression from Kia.

I work with a woman who is on her 3rd Kia SUV, and one of my BIL's has a Kia (car). They really like them; again you are leasing for 2 years, so don't worry about long-term reliability or value/resale.

full disclosure - I've never leased, because I drive them till they die. My 1999 Suburban left for the scrap yard in 2016 with only 287,000 miles on it and my current daily driver is a 2008 Fusion that is a solid little car (6-banger) and has about 242,000 on it. So I don't buy very often.

by **Jake from State Farm** Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:53 pm

Dendrobates wrote:
Jake from State Farm wrote:You can get a Kia for $97/month for 24 months provided you put $5k down and only drive it to church on Sundays. Insurance would be pretty cheap too.

I don’t know shit about cars, but isn’t Kia the cheapest of the cheap? As in cheap safety wise too? I guess I never got a good impression from Kia.

Used to be, the 2018 Sportage and Sorento each have a 5 star safety rating.

by **I.B. Fine** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:02 pm

Don't rule out Kia, or Hyundai, they may not be quite as good as the bigger name, but pretty close and usually much less. Took my mother car shopping not long ago, looked at a Camry, they wanted $500/mo, similar Kia, $330. Also compare 2 year vs 3 year lease.
As long as you're pretty confident in your mileage- and build it into the lease, you'll be fine, oh and this weekend is the end of the quarter, find a dealer that needs to hit a quota.

by **kingstonlake** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:03 pm

I wouldn't buy American. I only say that from a philosophical perspective.

by **MiamiSpartan** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:17 pm

One thing to be wary of is the advertised lease prices. It seems like a lot of those deals are based on having a lease with a competitor (sometimes turning it in, sometimes just having a lease on another car that you're keeping). And on the flip side, sometimes the deals may be loyalty leases if you have a lease with them already. It's part of the battle of trying to keep customers and steal other customers.

by **I.B. Fine** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:20 pm

The best way I've found is after you settle on a car, email 3 different dealers, tell them you're ready to go, the model and trim level you want and lease terms. Have them quote you the lease price up front, go to the dealer, sign and drive home.

Nothing makes me crazier than sitting in a showroom playing the game.

by **steveschneider** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:29 pm

I'll add in, IB Fine knows his shit. He almost got me to buy a Corolla but in my heart I wanted the Prius. I wasn't even considering the Corolla until he gave me his POV.

by **steveschneider** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:30 pm

Also, his advice to avoid the dealership is valuable fucking shit. I hate dealerships.

by **Robert J Sakimano** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:38 pm

I don't own a car so I'm not a great person to ask.

good luck, though.

by **Jake from State Farm** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:46 pm

steveschneider wrote:Also, his advice to avoid the dealership is valuable fucking shit. I hate dealerships.

Why the heck does it take 6 hours to do up the paperwork? I'll assume it must be the 500 phone calls they have to make to find the finance company that will give them the biggest kickback.
I also like the one dealership I went to that tried to sell me a 7 year loan to get the payments cheaper. Salesman: The length of the loan doesn't really matter, you'll probably sell the car before it's paid off anyway. He never did give me a price of the car.

by **steveschneider** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:48 pm

Jake from State Farm wrote:
steveschneider wrote:Also, his advice to avoid the dealership is valuable fucking shit. I hate dealerships.

Why the heck does it take 6 hours to do up the paperwork? I'll assume it must be the 500 phone calls they have to make to find the finance company that will give them the biggest kickback.
I also like the one dealership I went to that tried to sell me a 7 year loan to get the payments cheaper. Salesman: The length of the loan doesn't really matter, you'll probably sell the car before it's paid off anyway. He never did give me a price of the car.

I always get my own financing at my bank. I pass on the all the extras and warranties. I pay and try to get the fuck out of there as fast as possible.

by **Jake from State Farm** Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:51 pm

steveschneider wrote:
Jake from State Farm wrote:

Why the heck does it take 6 hours to do up the paperwork? I'll assume it must be the 500 phone calls they have to make to find the finance company that will give them the biggest kickback.
I also like the one dealership I went to that tried to sell me a 7 year loan to get the payments cheaper. Salesman: The length of the loan doesn't really matter, you'll probably sell the car before it's paid off anyway. He never did give me a price of the car.

I always get my own financing at my bank. I pass on the all the extras and warranties. I pay and try to get the fuck out of there as fast as possible.

I did that last time, worked out pretty well. I don't think they were real happy when I turned down their $400/month extended warranty/life insurance/tsunami/meteor storm coverage.

by **I.B. Fine** Tue Mar 26, 2019 3:28 pm

steveschneider wrote:I'll add in, IB Fine knows his shit. He almost got me to buy a Corolla but in my heart I wanted the Prius. I wasn't even considering the Corolla until he gave me his POV.

The heart wants what the heart wants, sounds like you may be in the market for a transplant, Steve.
Car advice 502811600

by **steveschneider** Tue Mar 26, 2019 3:50 pm

I.B. Fine wrote:
steveschneider wrote:I'll add in, IB Fine knows his shit. He almost got me to buy a Corolla but in my heart I wanted the Prius. I wasn't even considering the Corolla until he gave me his POV.

The heart wants what the heart wants, sounds like you may be in the market for a transplant, Steve.

Funny thing was my brother in law just bought a Prius this last weekend. I was like don't over look the Corolla or the Camry you can get lower miles and same or better trim level for less $. He still went in and bought the Prius. Regarding the Prius I did 240 miles this weekend and got 47 - 49 mpg for most of the trip and this was going through the mountains. On a 30 mile leg coming down the Berkshire mountains into Western Mass I got like 68 mpgs.

by **MiamiSpartan** Tue Mar 26, 2019 5:35 pm

steveschneider wrote:
Jake from State Farm wrote:

Why the heck does it take 6 hours to do up the paperwork? I'll assume it must be the 500 phone calls they have to make to find the finance company that will give them the biggest kickback.
I also like the one dealership I went to that tried to sell me a 7 year loan to get the payments cheaper. Salesman: The length of the loan doesn't really matter, you'll probably sell the car before it's paid off anyway. He never did give me a price of the car.

I always get my own financing at my bank. I pass on the all the extras and warranties. I pay and try to get the fuck out of there as fast as possible.

But, at least with a new car, they often have incentives like X amount cash back or 0% financing, but only if you do it through GMAC, Ford Credit, or whatever their corporate credit departments are called. So it's worth calculating that out versus your own bank to see which is really better for you, when all the various fees and everything are factored in.

With a lease, however, as Dendro is asking about, is there even the option of using your own bank? I've never leased a car, as I will usually drive some 20,000 miles/year.

by **The Pantry** Tue Mar 26, 2019 6:33 pm

Dendrobates wrote:It’s time for the hubby to get a new car. We’ve owned it for several years, and want to get an AWD/4WD SUV.

Normally, we would buy. But right now, those payments would be more tight than I like. So a 2 year lease is what we’re looking at. After that, we should be able to buy again.

I have an equinox, and we likenit. We’re thinking along those lines. Wanting a payment under $300 (estimating 2500 trade in) Not a basic vehicle , but doesn’t have to have all the bells and whistles. What should we get ? What should we avoid?

Ford Edge is a nice vehicle if you're looking for something similar to the Equinox, though the Edge has 10 cubic feet more cargo room. Available AWD and an ST version with 335hp if you want to have a little fun occasionally.

by **tGreenWay** Tue Mar 26, 2019 7:05 pm

Good advice in here. We’ve always owned one and leased one, going back to our first lease in ‘96. I thought a two-year lease seemed too short, so we’ve stuck w/36 or 39 months since then. If Mrs. GW is going to be the primary driver, we’ve gotten 15k miles/year. If this is going to be Nevets car, he’s going to be driving considerably less than you, right? That will help keep your monthly down. Keep an eye on some leases, which I’ve seen lately as being only for 10k/miles per year. However, if Nevets is def. going to be driving less than that—you really might get one of those attractive advertised offers.

As for Kia and Hyundai, I’ve never driven one, but in recent years, they’ve gotten excellent scores in safety and in customer satisfaction. Personally, I don’t see it, but like I said, I’ve never been in one. BTW, the new Kia Telluride looks to be getting outstanding reviews, but its final sticker will probably take you beyond the $300/month and $2,500 out of pocket you want to pay. Keep in mind you’ll knock about $30 off your monthly for every thousand you put out of pocket. (It’s not a down payment because you’re not buying the car.)
As IB pointed out, we’re right at the end of the month and quarter. If you can pull the trigger that quickly, you’ll get a better deal, especially from the sales person desperate to hit quota.
Also consider vehicles which have just had model changes. Good example is the Toyo RAV4. It’s an excellent vehicle in every category, and the ‘19 model is an entirely new look. That means dealers are very hungry to empty their lots of the ‘18. You can’t go wrong with the RAV, or its Honda equivalent, the CR-V, and I’m sure those will fall within reach of your monthly goal.

by aualum06 Tue Mar 26, 2019 7:13 pm

The Pantry wrote:
Dendrobates wrote:It’s time for the hubby to get a new car. We’ve owned it for several years, and want to get an AWD/4WD SUV.

Normally, we would buy. But right now, those payments would be more tight than I like. So a 2 year lease is what we’re looking at. After that, we should be able to buy again.

I have an equinox, and we likenit. We’re thinking along those lines. Wanting a payment under $300 (estimating 2500 trade in) Not a basic vehicle , but doesn’t have to have all the bells and whistles. What should we get ? What should we avoid?
Ford Edge is a nice vehicle if you're looking for something similar to the Equinox, though the Edge has 10 cubic feet more cargo room. Available AWD and an ST version with 335hp if you want to have a little fun occasionally.

We just got an escape Saturday. 2017, 6700 miles. Basically brand new without the price tag

by **steveschneider** Tue Mar 26, 2019 7:28 pm

MiamiSpartan wrote:
steveschneider wrote:

I.

My strategy has been to buy pre owned preferably one owner by lease and try to avoid the depreciation hit.

I always get my own financing at my bank. I pass on the all the extras and warranties. I pay and try to get the fuck out of there as fast as possible.
But, at least with a new car, they often have incentives like X amount cash back or 0% financing, but only if you do it through GMAC, Ford Credit, or whatever their corporate credit departments are called. So it's worth calculating that out versus your own bank to see which is really better for you, when all the various fees and everything are factored in.

With a lease, however, as Dendro is asking about, is there even the option of using your own bank? I've never leased a car, as I will usually drive some 20,000 miles/year.

I read during my research that for 0% financing they offer they actually bake those costs into the price of the car. If you ever pay cash and they are offering 0% negotiate that shit down

by **The Pantry** Tue Mar 26, 2019 7:35 pm

aualum06 wrote:
The Pantry wrote:
Ford Edge is a nice vehicle if you're looking for something similar to the Equinox, though the Edge has 10 cubic feet more cargo room. Available AWD and an ST version with 335hp if you want to have a little fun occasionally.

We just got an escape Saturday. 2017, 6700 miles. Basically brand new without the price tag

Escape is nice, too. Closer in size to Equinox/Terrain than Edge.

by **Dendrobates** Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:32 pm

aualum06 wrote:
The Pantry wrote:
Ford Edge is a nice vehicle if you're looking for something similar to the Equinox, though the Edge has 10 cubic feet more cargo room. Available AWD and an ST version with 335hp if you want to have a little fun occasionally.

We just got an escape Saturday. 2017, 6700 miles. Basically brand new without the price tag

That is normally what we do. We never buy new. Just recently used with low miles since they are shitty investments.

I don't think banking would be needed for a lease. I always laughed at the dealers trying to get us to finance through them in the past. They can never compete with your bank of you have a top credit score.

The hubby doesnt drive much right now, so I'm looking at 12k /yr lease deals. I know all the gimmicks show 10k.

I certainly hate going into a dealership. And I wasn't sure if I needed to be concerned with them screwing us over. I've got the KBB info for trade in value. And I'm getting the car detailed tomorrow to look better.

Someone else said Buick encores are having really good deals lately too. The escape is a good thought. My car is a fleet vehicle, and I figured I can get the 3rd row seating on my next exchange.

I like the Honda CR-V. Husband wasn't impressed when he drove with someone in one. Why so picky? Get a good priced SUV with AWD/4WD. Otherwise who carea?!

by **WhiteBoyHatcher** Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:47 pm

I told Travis this and pretty sure he thought I was an alien but it's what I would do if I were in your situation. But or borrow a Sunday paper. There will be a huge insert with nothing but auto ads, mostly advertising lease deals. Read the fine print but this will give you a baseline for what to expect. In general any competitive dealer will match those with minimal effort. You can usually get a pretty decent deal on a Cherokee with some standard desired features for < $300/month and about $1000 down on a 2-3 year 12k/year lease, non employee pricing.

by **Turtleneck** Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:50 pm

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I told Travis this and pretty sure he thought I was an alien but it's what I would do if I were in your situation. But or borrow a Sunday paper. There will be a huge insert with nothing but auto ads, mostly advertising lease deals. Read the fine print but this will give you a baseline for what to expect. In general any competitive dealer will match those with minimal effort. You can usually get a pretty decent deal on a Cherokee with some standard desired features for < $300/month and about $1000 down on a 2-3 year 12k/year lease, non employee pricing.

by **tGreenWay** Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:17 am

I stopped considering Ford after Turtleneck started pushing them.

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